Maltese Fortifications

MALTESE FORTIFICATIONS ne of the reasons why the Maltese Islands have Although the first man to settle in the Maltese Oalways drawn the interest of the great European Islands came around the year 4500 B.C., it was only and Mediterranean powers, is their strategic position. during the last phase of the prehistoric period that When ships had to rely on slaves and wind to reach the first fortifications were built on the Maltese their destination, the Maltese Islands provided good Islands. For some reason or other the first two harbours for a respite. Even when modern tech phases of the Islands' prehistory were peaceful nology produced steam engines and aircraft, it was enough and the inhabitants did not find the need to still felt that the Maltese Islands' position is provi defend themselves. But the social life in the Mediter dential. An example of this, was the Second World ranean Sea was changing and like other peoples, the War, when against all odds, Britain kept fighting to Bronze Age people living on the Maltese Islands safeguard its hold on the Maltese Islands. thought of building some kind of defence for their It is therefore quite understandable, that through villages. out the Islands' history a number of fortifications There have been at least six sites identified with were built. While some localities have retained their Bronze Age fortified settlements. These are Borg ln importance throughout the Islands' history, as ideas Nadur, limits of Birzebbuga; il-Wardija ta' San and strategies changed, so did fortifications and Gorg, limits of Siggiewi; Ras il-Gebel, limits of therefore new localities were chosen, and old sites left Mgarr; Bahrija, limits of Rabat; il-Qortin, limits of to die a natural death. St. Paul's Bay and another site in Gozo, that of in This chronological presentation of the evolution of Nuffara, limits of Rabat. Out of these only that of the fortifications of Malta, starts with the earliest Borg in-Nadur is in a fair state of preservation. times right up to the British period. A characteristic of these settlements is that they are The Bronze Age fortified settlement at Borg in-Nadur, limits of Birzebbuga 22 built on promontories, and usually having three sides of the locality naturally defended. The settlement would only be defended from the single side where an attack could be expected. Key to numbers The Borg in-Nadur defence wall possesses all of I. Borg in·Nadur, Bir:tebbu&ia 2. u.wardija ta' San Corg, limits of Si&Aiewi the qualities just mentioned. It is found on a hill 3. Ras ii-Cebel, limits of Mgarr 4. Bahrija, limits of Rabat overlooking St. George's Bay. On two sides of this 5. 11-Qortin, limits of St. Paul's Bay settlement there are two valleys, which provide 6. ln-Nuffara, limits of Rabat, Gozo natural defence as the sides are quite steep. The slope that leads from the bay to the settlement is somewhat steep, but it is thought that in antiquity this bay MALTA reached further inland, and therefore that side would have been better protected than it is today. There only remained one part in which an attacker could creep onto the village, and that was from the stretch of land that lay in front of the settlement. And it is here that the defence wall is to be found. Built in c1450 B.C. this wall uses the system that was commonly used by the people of that era all BRONZE AGE around the Mediterranean. It is known as cyclopean FORTIFIED SETTLEMENTS and we see examples of this type of building in the Balearic Islands, Sardinia, Corsica and elsewhere. In this type of building large and irregular stones are put It is therefore quite possible that a further smaller together without using any mortar. An interesting town would have been situated in the Grand Harbour point is that though the stones used would be area, where the warehouses and workshops irregular, on looking at the finished work these stones would be closely fitted. The Borg in-Nadur connected with Phoenician trading might have been wall which can still be admired, stretches for some 80 situated. Although no remains have been found of these metres, attaining the height of 4 metres in some fortifications, they must have existed. The sites places and it is about 1.5 metres thick in average. In chosen would have been continually in use over the fact it is quite impressive. ages, and therefore any remains would be either lost As regards other sites where remains thought to for ever, or else buried deep below many different have been Bronze Age defended settlements were layers. The evidence of the location of these towns found, it is impossible to have a clear idea of how comes from a different subject altogether - tombs. large they were and if the building style was the same, There has been found a great number of rock-cut as the remains are very scant indeed. tombs around the Rabat/Mdina area, and even on the eastern side of Grand Harbour. The same can be THE PHOENICIANS said regarding the Phoenician tombs in Gozo, where With the coming of the Phoenician trading galleys, they have been found mostly in the Rabat/Citadel the Maltese Islands were occupied for the first time area. These tombs indirectly lead to the conclusion by a great maritime power. It is thought that our that the main settlements could be in the vicinity, as Islands only served as a port of call for the galleys naturally they would not be found far away from the travelling from Phoenicia (modern Lebanon) towns. towards the distant Phoenician colonies along the However as regards further information about the coast of North Africa and even Spain. But with the fortifications built by the Phoenicians on the Maltese passing of time the Phoenicians established colonies Islands, one is uncertain of ever finding any remains. on our Islands. Since it was customary for them to Till now only tombs and their contents have given us surround their main towns by walls, it has been an insight into Phoenician life in the Maltese Islands. supposed that the main centres on Malta and Gozo The rest has been gathered by comparing other well were likewise surrounded. documented Phoenician colonies with our Islands. The main town in Malta was situated in the Rabat and Mdina area. While that of Gozo was where today THE CARTHAGINIANS there is Rabat and possibly the Citadel. Both of these towns were fortified and it is also interesting to note One of the main Phoenician colonies on the North that both of these centres were situated away from African coast, was the city of Carthage, founded the harbours, where there would have been activity. between 813-814 B.C. With the passing of a few 23 years this city soon began to establish its own colonies, and in time took control of the western part SKETCH ~HOWIN& THE of the Phoenician colonies. The Maltese Islands passed under the control of the Carthaginians as IMIT~ Of MELITA, well. HE ROMA FOR riFlED (I fY Being also connected with trading, the Carthaginians continued making use of our natural well-sheltered harbours. At the same time they were more concerned with keeping an eye on the Greeks, with whom they were fighting for the control of Sicily. It is not known in what capacity the Maltese Islands were made use of by the Carthaginians in their struggle against the Greeks. Probably the Phoenician towns continued being important centres on the Islands, and consequently all existing fortific ations on the Islands must have been kept in good condition. But the people that were to take the Maltese Islands from the Carthaginians were not the Greeks but the Romans. Between these two powers, three wars were fought. They are known as the Punic Wars and because of these wars the Maltese Islands were involved in the first two. During the First Punic War, in 257 B.C. our Islands were attacked by a Roman army. It seems, though, that the Romans had only thought of a punitive raid on the Islands, because soon after the Carthaginians were again in command. It was during the Second Punic War, in 218 B.C., St. Paul's Church and Grotto that our Islands were truly invaded by the Romans. Roman Villa Museum Gheriexem Valley The Roman Consul, Titus Sempronius Longus, after Saqqaja taking the city of Syracuse, crossed over to Malta and The old limits of the walls of Melita, the Carthaginian garrison surrendered. It is not the Roman capital town. known for certain whether Harnilcar bin Gisco, the Carthaginian commander, surrendered immediately to the Romans, or after defending the islands. But what is most interesting is that Hamilcar bin Gisco THE ROMANS had a garrison amounting to nearly 2000 soldiers. When compared with the number of soldiers Throughout the Roman period, the Maltest stationed in the "castrum maris" (present-day Fort Islands generally fared well. The inhabitants were St. Angelo) during the Aragonese period, when only well-treated, and some Maltese became men of 150 soldiers were stationed there, this number seems influence. Being also in the middle of the Mediter to be quite high. The probability therefore is that a ranean Sea which was bordered by territories Carthaginian force was being gathered in Malta, so occupied by the Romans, the Maltese Islands did not that they could sail to help their Syracusan allies. But retain their previous military importance. This does the Romans arrived before any help could be sent.

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